Day 227

Today is Day 227 of  The Red Shoe Project and I 'm off early to a Tea Party at the Country Club, adorned in a little white sundress, paired with cute RED sandals!  On the agenda:

* A Light Lunch with Tea & Cookies

* A Silent Auction for the Hospital

* An Introduction to Giving Circles

Truly,  I am passionate about GIVING... and although I don't have a lot to give, I can give abundantly by merely getting my friends to give along with me!  ...all to good causes, of course!

Several days ago,  I talked about the process of Spiritual Metabolism:  Spiritual Fueling-> Digestion -> and Giving Out.   Day 222 focused on
Places to obtain Daily Bread:  House of Prayer, House of Worship, House of God's Word.  Today I'd like to talk about...  Spiritual Digestion. 

Just what happens when I sit in God's Presence? 

Worship and Magnify Him -- Soak in His Spirit --  

Enter into The Secret Place with Him in prayer?   

How is that "Spiritual Intake"  broken down 

into a divine energy that compels me 

to go out and live my life for Christ?

Putting ourselves in God's Presence, 

sets us up to be transformed.  

We're changed in some way.   We don't leave the way we came.  Something happens!  We're altered -- converted -- overhauled.  Our mindset, thoughts and character are re-shaped, re-arranged, re-organized  so that they align with God... so that we look more like God.  We become less of ourselves and more like Him.

When we're in God's Presence, a number of things can happen.  Here are just a few to consider along with some Bible references.  NOTE:  This is just a starting point.  You could pursue this study even further on your own and find many, many more examples.

1)  God gives specific instruction on what to do, what not to do, what job to complete, where to go and what to say.

Adam walked with God in the Garden.  God gave Adam jobs to do.  He was instructed to name all the animals.  (Genesis 2:19).  Adam was also instructed on what not to do --Eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Noah was also instructed by God to build an ark. (Genesis 6:14)
Abraham was instructed to pick up everything and leave -- to go to a new place God would show him.    (Genesis 12:1)  He was also tested by God when God instructed him to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, and at the last moment God provided a ram. (Genesis 22:8)
Joshua was instructed by God to lead His people into the promised land. (Joshua 1:2)
Samuel was a priest and prophet that God instructed on many occasions, very specifically, where to go, what to do and what to say. One of those times, he was instructed to anoint young David as king. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
Peter was given very specific instruction for the gentile believers.
(Acts 10: 9-16)
Saul who became The Apostle Paul was told by Jesus to go into the city and wait for further instruction. (Acts 9:6)
Barnabas and Saul were set apart for ministry while the church prayed. (Acts 13:2)

2)  God gives prophetic words, visions and dreams.
Jacob  saw a ladder going to heaven with angels going up and down.
(Genesis 28:10-19)
Joseph was just a teenager when God gave him visions of the future.
(Genesis 37:5)
Samuel heard God's voice and God told Samuel what was about to happen.
(1 Sam. 3:11-14)
The Apostle John received a revelation from God on the Island of Patmos.  (The Book of Revelation)
Cornelius, a gentile, was given instruction in a dream on exactly where to find Peter and to go get him. (Acts 10:1-8)


3)  God encourages and blesses those who seek him.
Abraham  entered into a covenant with God and God blessed him!
Jacob wrestled with God until he blessed him!  He was left with a  limp and a new name, Israel (Genesis 32:22-32)
Joshua was encouraged by God as He sent him forth to conquer the land! (Joshua 1:1-9)


4)  God fills people with the Holy Spirit in His presence.
Jesus' followers were in the upper room, waiting on God, in unity when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. (Acts 2:4)
Saul/Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and received his sight while Ananias prayed for him.
Cornelius, (a gentile) and his entire house were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. (Acts 10: 44-47).


5) God performs Miracles in His Presence.
There are many examples of Miracles taking place in God's presence. This is seen continuously in the Book of Acts during prayer meetings, when the Word of God is being preached, when the disciples lay hands on others and pray, and when people are praying on their own.  Miracles are a divine act of God.  They may come in the form of Healing, Deliverance, Salvation, Provision and Favor.


Being "HUMBLE" 
is about recognizing that 
GOD is The Creator and 
I'm a mere human being --
part of His Glorious creation. 


I'm always mindful that as wonderful as all this is, it's also an incredibly humbling experience to be in the presence of God Almighty.  Within moments, I'm aware of the fact that I'm a mere human being, part of God's very own creation, and here I am standing before My Maker!

The prophets would testify of bowing down as low as they could get. God's people greatly believed that no man could see God face to face and live.   Isaiah, shouted out,  "Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5)  

When Moses came down from the mountain after meeting with God,  Exodus 34:29-35 tells us that his face glowed from being in the Presence of Gods Glory.  The people were so afraid that Moses ended up covering up his face with a veil.

As I get ready to sign off for tonight's Red Shoe Project,  I'm mesmerized at all that takes place during "Spiritual Digestion."  It's all about what God does in us in response to our being in His Presence and eating fresh bread.  I can sum it all up in these two words:

 We're Changed!

Good night, my friends.

Gail

Day 226

Day 226 of  The Red Shoe Project is quickly coming to an end.  Today was a jam-packed!  Pauly and I were out in RED flip flops at what seemed like the break of dawn.  Next thing I knew I was off to The Bonfire Bible study, followed by lunch with the girls, an afternoon meeting with my mentor at Starbucks,  and an evening Bible study at church on "The Vine and the Branches."   Whew!  What a day!

There are so many things I could talk about today, because God was everywhere!  But there is one thing, that stands out more than the others, that I've been pondering over and over in my mind.  I can't stop thinking about it.  It's like a pot simmering on the stove.  It's a comment I made at The Bonfire regarding our use of Spiritual Gifts.


When I was growing up, my dad was the

#1 Vending Mechanic 

in New England.  

Coffee machines -- Soda machines --  

Candy machines -- Snack machines --

Pinball machines -- Cigarette machines.  

You name it... He could fix it!  

He was The Master Mechanic of his day.
Business owners knew that if their machine
was "Out of Order"  and the local guy
couldn't get it up and running,  it was time to give Scotty a call!   Before long, the machine was operating like new.  They were back in business and pulling in profits.


Last week I overheard an interesting conversation between two people that I love dearly.  One happened to say something to the other that shocked me!  It was an ugly moment of selfishness that brought tears to my eyes and grieved my Spirit.  Because I'm in a place of leadership with this individual, before long, I found myself in a room with her, closing the door behind me for privacy.  It was time to speak words of wisdom to this dear young woman.

"But that's how I really feel!"  she said.

"You may feel that way, but the only person you should tell that to, my dear,
 is God."  I returned.

TAKE NOTE:  When you're broken -- that is,  not working correctly,  it's time to shut down and/ or shut your mouth, and call in...
The Master Mechanic.

The Holy Spirit makes 

FREE house calls  24/7.

He's the BEST when it 

comes to Divine Adjustments! 

Today, at The Bonfire, we were discussing Spiritual Gifts and the importance of being in alignment with the Holy Spirit.  The point was made that when one's attitude or life is out of sync, that's not the time to be ministering for God.   Trying to operate on His behalf, when we're  "Out of Order,"  creates an unacceptable service.  The quality is below standard.  It's tainted!  Don't get me wrong, God's not looking for perfection from us, but He's also not up for our presenting something on His behalf, that's insufficient and below His standard.  That gives Him a bad name.  Sometimes it hurts people.  The repercussions can be horrendous.

When my dad was called upon to fix coffee machines, it was because the coffee would pour out, before the cup was in place.  Sometimes the mix of the coffee and creamer was backwards - too much cream, not enough coffee.  Other times, the coffee would come out cold instead of hot.   No matter how you look at it, the results were unacceptable.  People wanted their money back!

Dont' get me wrong... if  you wait until everything is perfect, you'll never minister for God.  But that doesn't mean that we should disregard the effects of sinful behavior mixed with an attempt to do something as God's representative.  "God will not be mocked!"  (Galatians 6:7)   I warned the young woman I was counseling, "Do unto others as you would want done unto you."  We all know that what goes around, comes around.  It's only a matter of time.

Just as a point of reference, 1 Samuel, Chapter 2, tells the story of Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli the priest.  They were sacrilegious in their priestly duties and God ultimately dealt with them and their father rather harshly for it.

My friend Bonnie has made a comment several times these past few weeks.  She says that she loves the correction of the Lord.  Yes, He corrects and disciplines, but He does it ever so gently.  Why would she love that?  Because...

 When you're "Out of Order,"
there's nothing better than 

a "Divine Adjustment!"  

When it's over, everything lines up and the Spirit flows through you with ease.  It is a GOOD thing to be operational once again!  After all, who wants to be going through life with an  "Out of Order"  sign continuously around their neck?  Not me!

"Since we live by the Spirit, 

let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Galatians 5:25

Wearing RED shoes comes with a responsibility.  As I go throughout my days looking for God, pointing to God, praising God, and sometimes speaking for God, I can't be mixing God's business with things like negativity, jealousy, anger, hatred, lying, deception, back-biting, vulgarity, etc. etc. etc.   Yeah... that simply won't work!  I'm sure it would only be a matter of time before God saw fit to eliminate all the RED shoes from my closet.  Kind of like Donald Trump saying, "Your Fired!" 

It's privilege and honor to wear these RUBY REDS!

Gail

Day 225

It's Day 225 of  The Red Shoe Project and I've been sitting at my desk most of the day, in RED shoes,  getting caught up with business.  There are phone calls to make, emails to send, and action to take.  With all that needs to be done in the office, my heart has been in prayer for Charlie.  Charlie turned eighteen and left rehab.  Wont' you continue, with me, to lift up Charlie before God?  Let's believe together that God's Spirit will apprehend him.  After all, there is no better place to be than in God's care.

   - Pictured below:   Sid Roth -      

Today while looking at my emails, I happened to come across Sid Roth's
"It's Supernatural."   In this week's program, Sid interviews old time minister,  Orville Hayes.
The introduction sounded interesting, so I thought I'd watch to see what I could glean from it.

Oh my gosh...  this 83 year old man had lots of interesting things to say, and many stories to tell, but what caught me by surprise was what happened when Sid asked him to give the audience an example of how he worships God each day.  This man closed his eyes and began to weep and cry out to God.

 It was like nothing I'd ever seen.
He sounded so frail and helpless...
so insignificant.  It almost sounded like a little kid crying.  At first I had to take a second look.  It struck me as unusual that anyone would present themselves like that, let alone on television for the world to see.  It was a little unbecoming.


Jesus called a little child to come to him and stood the child before the followers.  Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth.  You must change and become like little children (in your hearts).  

If you don't do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  The greatest (most important) person in the kingdom of heaven is the person that makes himself humble like this child." 

Matthew 18: 2-4 (ERV)

I sat back in my chair and started to laugh -- partly because I couldn't believe this guy was doing this and partly because I began to realize that it's times like this when God powerfully moves!  Before I knew it, tears were rolling down my face.  The Spirit of God had come upon me and I found myself weeping along with the man on the screen.  Really?  Yes -- Really!

All day I had difficulty getting into the presence of God.  It was as if my head was stuck in a cloud.  My brain was foggy.  But now... Minister Hayes had unexpectedly ushered me in.

ACCESS POINT!   

You know how I feel about access points.  When God pulls me in, I stop what I'm doing and go.  That said, I have decided to unplug for the evening and continue my to worship to God

Until tomorrow,
Gail

Day 224

Today was the 224th day of  The Red Shoe Project.  All day I could be found sporting my RED sandals and a smile from ear to ear.  My impromptu visit to the Orlando area to visit with old friends was just short of 24 hours.  Of course, that was not as much time as I would have liked, but God has been faithful to fill my heart with joy!

Last night was a night to remember.  There I was sitting in my friend's home with five Eagles for God:  My pastor for years;  his lovely wife, who's my dearest friend;  the couple who mentored me as a new Believer;  and one of the most brilliant Biblical scholars and professors in the country... well, at least I think of him that way.  Believe it or not,  I sat back and did a lot more listening than usual.  I was honored and thankful to sit amongst them, soaking up all they had to offer.

Each one of them has known the Lord for well over thirty years.  Put together all their degrees,  ministry experience, soul-winning efforts, counseling hours, missionary endeavors, church planting, worship leading, Bible knowledge, not to mention preaching, teaching and presenting for God... and we haven't even scratched the surface yet.  I've yet to mention their personal prayer lives, consistency in Christ, and over-coming capabilities with God... all the late nights they've put in over the years, times of going above and beyond again and again, dying to self, pushing aside their wants and maybe even their needs for God's perfect will.  Yup, they're some of the greatest people I personally know, who are "all in" for God's Kingdom!

Are they flawless?  No way!  They would tell you that themselves.  They'd probably be embarrassed if they read this.  I can picture them now rolling their eyes at me and shaking their heads, in disbelief.  Not one of them is a seeker of acclamation.  They are humble servants -- mere lovers of God, whose hearts are sold out for the kingdom -- willing vessels, no less, always on call for God to move through them, any time, anywhere.   In fact, it was this very pastor, that taught each one of us to...

"Preach the word;  

be ready in season and out of season; 

correct, rebuke and encourage -- 

with great patience and careful instruction."

2 Timothy 4:2

As we sat around the living room, well into the night... yes, we talked about spiritual things.  Wisdom, from much study and experience poured forth, and I was sure to take mental note of the contributions they all shared.  But we also laughed a lot, reminisced, told some stories, and just enjoyed one another's company.  Thirty years of ministry and more has tempered them all significantly.  I saw lots of warmth and love, patience and kindness, gentleness and peace.  

  There I was... sitting in the middle 

of an abundant harvest of spiritual fruit.

Early this afternoon, I said my goodbyes, so happy for such a blessed time, and drove away in my little car.  I wasn't on the highway long, when I connected by phone with Bonnie -- my dear friend, ministry colleague, prayer partner and spiritual mentor. She's been traveling herself, these last few days,  ministering at a conference in Ohio.  It was a joy catching up with her, as we both headed home from different directions.  We'll connect tomorrow to prepare for The Bonfire. 

 I'm really enjoying this God-given friendship with Bonnie.  I can't quite describe it.  

I will say this though...  I don't think that I would have made it so far on this Red Shoe Project  had she not been walking with me the entire time. Just as Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses, during Joshua's battle with the Amalekites,  she has undergirded me!  

(See  Exodus 17: 10-13).  She is a Master Eagle, herself!

The ride home from my friend's house is about two hours.  As I headed into the second hour of the trip, I gave my friends, The Marinos,  a call to see how they were doing.  

"Come on over!" 

 they exclaimed.  

When I arrived, they had invited a couple others from our Bible group.  What a wonderful afternoon we had!  Wendy cooked up a storm, while Jim barbecued on the lanai.  We talked,  laughed,  even played a board game -- Guys against the Gals.  Fun time!

As the sun set, and stars covered the night sky, I headed home thinking, 

"I am blessed beyond measure!"  God has given me many wonderful new friends in these last couple years.  Together, we are in the process of building great memories together.  Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind...

One day, this group 

will be sitting around, 

with decades of ministry 

experience under their 

belts, telling stories and

offering divine wisdom 

to a group of "newbies" 

who are hungry for God!

As for today...  I'm wearing RED shoes and looking for God, 

and they're all following suit.

For God's Glory!

Gail